Russ Whiteside sees signs that things are coming together for the Heritage Academy boys basketball team.
Given the team’s success to date despite injuries, that could be a bad sign for the Patriots’ opponents in 2019.
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Heritage Academy will kick off the second half of the season when it plays host to Leake Academy in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class AAA, District 2 game. The girls teams will start the varsity doubleheader at 6 p.m.
“We’re playing OK,” Whiteside said. “I think we’re playing hard and sometimes we have found it hard to get into a rhythm offensively. We haven’t shot the ball as well from the perimeter as well as we would have liked to, and I think that is starting to come around and get better. We have to continue to get better offensively and play hard like we have been doing. If we do that, I think we will be OK.”
Last season, Heritage Academy (30-11) beat Hillcrest Christian School 59-39 to win the MAIS Class AAA State title at Columbia Academy. It then defeated Simpson Academy and Marshall Academy before losing to eventual overall champion Madison-Ridgeland Academy, which won its third-straight crown.
A year ago, Whiteside said the Patriots understood the meaning of team and what it took to play together. He said team chemistry enabled the Patriots to adopt a “next-man-up mentality” that allowed one player to emerge if one or multiple players were having off nights.
This season, Heritage Academy (13-2, 1-0 district) is following a similar mind-set despite losing two key contributors. In the second game of the season, guard Steele Altmyer suffered a broken leg going in for a layup. Whiteside said the injury was a “freak thing” because there was no contact. Altmyer had 25 points in the team’s first game and 15 in the second before he was injured.
Whiteside said he originally didn’t think Altmyer would be back this season, but he said he has received reports Altmyer is “ahead of schedule” and that he could be back in early February.
Last month, Heritage Academy lost senior Moak Griffin to a broken hand in a victory against Starkville Academy. Whiteside said the versatile Griffin, who was a standout on the school’s football team, is expected back in two to three weeks.
Whiteside said depth has helped the Patriots to withstand the injuries. He credits junior Eli Acker and Jared Long for giving the team a presence in the post. He said guards Carter Putt and Reid Huskison have been solid, as have Adam Koussih and Jack Kizer in “stepping up and giving us some good minutes.”
Whiteside said juniors Gunnar Gale and Davis Fitch also have played a good bit and helped to keep the Patriots on track.
“I think we have some depth, and we felt like we were going to be probably nine deep, so the guys who have stepped up and taken their place were really guys we were counting on anyway,” Whiteside said. “They have done a good job of that anyway. We also have done a good job scoring in the post and drawing defenders down to make them double the post, which gets some open shots for the guards.”
Whiteside said the 6-foot-5 Acker has been a load to deal with on the low block. He said Acker is averaging about a team-best 15 points per game. He said Acker and the Patriots’ post players have done a good job of playing inside-out to draw defenders and create openings on the perimeter for their teammates.
Whiteside said Huskison has “come on” of late and provided a lift with his outside shooting. He said Huskison had a big second half in hitting four 3-pointers in the victory against Starkville Academy in the district opener. The return of Altmyer and Griffin only will bolster and outside attack that Whiteside feels is finding its footing.
“We have some kids who can make shots, and they’re starting to right now, and we think that is only going to get better,” Whiteside said.
Whiteside said he likes how the Patriots have been able to find ways to win on nights he feels they haven’t played well. He also said the players have embraced the notion they no longer are the hunter and are the hunted, which means they have to stay focused. Whiteside believes that attitude is perfect for a team that showed it is ready, willing, and able to be the sum of its parts to reach its goals.
The only problem is Heritage Academy might have to wait a little longer to get all of its pieces back. When that happens, Whiteside hopes the Patriots still have the chemistry to make another run at a championship.
“The biggest thing I told them stay humble and hungry and stay after it each and every day and know it is the same recipe in that we have to go out there and outwork everybody every day in practice and stay hungry. It is great everybody out there is talking about Heritage Academy, but, at the same time, we have to let everybody focus on that and let us stay in the moment and work hard and try to outwork everybody else.
“I think our team has a chance to be really good. I would like us to play at full strength at some point. It has been fun to watch, but I think it will be really fun to watch if everybody gets healthy.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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